York Technical College Foundation, Inc. was awarded $25,000 from the South Carolina
Physicians Care Charity (SCPCC), Inc. to establish the South Carolina
Physicians Care Charity Nursing Endowment that will help students from Chester
and Lancaster counties who are pursuing an Associate Degree in Nursing at York
Technical College.
The
award is intended to encourage and assist students wishing to pursue their
degree while remaining in the communities they call home. The endowment will
increase the number of students in the Associate Degree Nursing Program by
reducing the financial barriers that may prevent some students from enrolling
or completing the program The endowment will also help to minimize the nursing
shortage.
“We’re grateful to the South Carolina
Physicians Care Charity for this contribution that will help the College
maximize the success of our students and fulfill their aspirations of becoming
a nurse,” said Claudine Jones, the department chair of the Nursing Program.
“The Associate Degree Nursing program strives to fill the community with
quality nurses who will enhance the lives of all those they come in contact
with.”
During the 2018-2019 academic year, the
Associate Degree Nursing Program had a total enrollment of 149 students. With
the new expanded enrollment options, the College anticipates program admittance
to increase to approximately 165 students. The program previously only accepted
80 students per year each fall semester. There will now be a spring semester
admission of an additional 24 new or returning students.
“Such a generous investment will allow the York Technical
College Foundation to further assist the College in meeting the significant
need for nurses within these communities,” said Melanie Jones, the
executive director of the York Technical College Foundation. “The South Carolina
Physicians Care Charity Nursing Endowment will create a legacy of support for our
nursing program students from Chester and Lancaster counties.”
The initial scholarship awards will be made during the 2021- 2022 academic year.
The
median annual income for nurses was $73,300 in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, the growth
rate for nursing is expected to grow faster than average when compared to other
occupations.
For more information about the
College’s nursing program, visit: www.yorktech.edu/nursing/.
About York Technical College Foundation:
York Technical College Foundation was established in 1983 as a not-for-profit foundation organized under South Carolina law and is fiscally and organizationally separate from the College. The Foundation is committed to helping support student success, partnerships, programming, and the campus environment, along with professional development.